By D’Arcy Morrell –
There is something inherently amusing about watching a room full of actors approach a sport with the same seriousness they would bring to Shakespeare, especially when that sport has its own vocabulary, etiquette, and, as it turns out, a dedicated following. That duality sits at the heart of Pickleball, now playing at Barter’s Smith Theatre, where a deceptively simple premise unfolds into something much more familiar.
Set within the familiar rhythms of a shared recreational space, the play introduces a group of players whose relationships to the game are as varied as their reasons for showing up. What starts as a casual meet-up develops into something more intense, shaped by routine, competition, and the unspoken social rules that form in any close-knit group.
For the cast, stepping into this world took more than just learning their lines. Early rehearsals showed how much the script depended on understanding pickleball itself—not just how to play, but how players talk and interact. Director Brandon Roberts remembers opening the script and finding “a ton of language [with] pickleball references” that left everyone wondering, “what are all these things?” That confusion became part of the process, as the cast worked to understand a world that was new to them.
To help, Barter Theatre brought in David Poole, a local pickleball coach from The Virginian Golf Club. He trained the actors in the basics of the game, but his role went beyond that. His guidance helped the cast focus on the small details that make the world feel real—because, as Roberts notes, many audience members already have “some sort of relationship with pickleball” and will immediately notice if something isn’t quite right.
That attention to detail shows in everything from how the actors hold their paddles to the rhythm of their games and conversations. It creates a sense that this isn’t just a play about pickleball, it’s a real community brought to life on stage. Poole’s enthusiasm for the process was so genuine that it earned him a place in the show itself, where he contributed a voiceover that perfectly captures the collaboration between Barter and its community. “He was downright giddy,” Roberts recalls, and it’s easy to see why. In a theatre built on connection, it’s only fitting that a local coach would find himself part of the story.
At the same time, Pickleball is welcoming to audiences who know nothing about the sport. Actor Nick Piper points out that “you don’t have to play pickleball or know anything about pickleball to enjoy it.” The play introduces its language and culture naturally, so no one feels left out.
As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the play is about more than just a game. Piper describes it as “really just…about finding community,” while fellow cast member Paris Bradstreet emphasizes the importance of “finding your tribe.” In Pickleball, the sport becomes a shared language for the characters as they navigate friendship, identity, and belonging.
Director Brandon Roberts balances this carefully, allowing the humor to land without losing sight of what lies beneath. The play, he notes, is “not just about the obsession with pickleball. It’s the connections that you make along the way.” That mix of humor and sincerity gives the production its shape, letting moments of comedy coexist with something quieter and more enduring.
Audiences are already responding. “Mostly they’re gonna laugh,” Piper says—but there’s more to it than that. Beneath the humor is a sense of recognition, of seeing your own experiences reflected in an unexpected way. It’s a feeling that Barter Theatre has long been known for: meeting audiences where they are and taking them somewhere just a little deeper than they expected.
Special Thanks to Empire Ford, Virginia Sports & Chiropractic, and Wilderness Diagnostics & Therapeutics for making this production possible. Pickleball is currently playing at Barter’s Smith Theatre until April 26th. For more details or to book tickets, visit www.bartertheatre.com, or call (276) 628-3991.
